KR20150031565A - Mobile terminal and method for charging battery of the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal and to a battery charging method thereof. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the mobile terminal includes: a terminal body including a battery; an adaptor connection unit which is formed on one side of the terminal body and is connected to a power supply adaptor; multiple charging units which charge the battery between the adaptor connection unit and the battery; and a control unit which generates a control signal to control the multiple charging units, respectively.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a mobile terminal,

The present invention relates to a mobile terminal and a battery charging method thereof.

A terminal such as a personal computer, a notebook computer, or a mobile phone has various functions, for example, a multimedia device having a complex function such as photographing or photographing of a moving picture, reproduction of music or a moving picture file, (Multimedia player). The terminal can move And may be classified into a mobile terminal and a stationary terminal depending on whether the mobile terminal is a mobile terminal or a mobile terminal.

The mobile terminal is generally used while the user is carrying the mobile terminal. Since the user uses it while moving, the mobile terminal is difficult to receive a separate power supply from the outside. That is, the mobile terminal uses a battery built therein as a power source. Accordingly, there is a need to increase the battery capacity in order to use the mobile terminal for a long time without receiving an external power supply from the outside.

However, when a large-capacity battery is used in a mobile terminal, there is a problem that the charging time of the battery increases. The charging current for charging the battery can be increased in order to shorten the charging time of the battery. However, in this case, there is a problem that the amount of heat generated by the charging unit that supplies the charging current during the charging period is greatly increased. In order to reduce the amount of heat generated by the charger, it is possible to attach the thermal diffusion sheet to the charger. However, there is a limit in reducing the amount of heat generated by using the thermal diffusion sheet.

The present invention provides a mobile terminal and a method for charging the battery, which can reduce the charging time of the battery and minimize the amount of heat generated by a plurality of charging units during the charging period.

A mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a terminal body including a battery; An adapter connector formed on one side of the terminal body and connected to a power supply adapter; A plurality of charging units for charging the battery between the adapter connection unit and the battery; And a control unit for generating a control signal for controlling each of the plurality of charging units.

A method of charging a battery of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a terminal body including a battery; An adapter connector formed on one side of the terminal body and connected to a power supply adapter; And a plurality of charging units for charging the battery between the adapter connection unit and the battery, wherein the power supply adapter is connected to the adapter connection unit, Charging the battery using all of the plurality of chargers during a period of time; And charging the battery using any one of the plurality of charging units during a period other than the preset predetermined period of time during the charging period.

The present invention charges the battery using a plurality of charging units only during a predetermined period preset in the charging period. As a result, the present invention can reduce the charging time of the battery and minimize the amount of heat generated by the plurality of charging units by charging the battery using a plurality of charging units for a predetermined period and charging the remaining one period using one charging unit have.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;
2 is a front perspective view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a rear perspective view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is an exploded perspective view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention;
5 is a block diagram illustrating a control unit, a plurality of charging units, a battery, and an adapter coupling unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of charging a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7A is a graph showing the charging current of the first charging section.
7B is a graph showing the charging current of the second charging part.
8 is a graph showing the amount of heat generated by the prior art and the amount of heat generated by the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Like reference numerals throughout the specification denote substantially identical components. In the following description, a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the subject matter of the present invention rather unclear. The component names used in the following description are selected in consideration of ease of specification, and may be different from actual product names.

A mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a mobile terminal, a smart phone, a tablet, a laptop computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistants), a PMP (Portable Multimedia Player) And the like.

1 is a block diagram of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1, a mobile terminal 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a wireless communication unit 110, an audio / video (A / V) input unit 120, a user input unit 130, a sensing unit 140, An output unit 150, a memory unit 160, an interface unit 170, a control unit 180, a power supply unit 190, and the like. 1 are not essential, the mobile terminal 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention may have more components than the components shown in FIG. 1, or may have more components than the components shown in FIG. 1 You can have fewer components. Hereinafter, the components will be described in order.

The wireless communication unit 110 may include one or more modules for enabling wireless communication between the mobile terminal 100 and the wireless communication system or between the mobile terminal 100 and the network in which the mobile terminal 100 is located. For example, the wireless communication unit 110 may include a broadcast receiving module 111, a mobile communication module 112, a wireless Internet module 113, a short range communication module 114, and a location information module 115 .

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives broadcast signals and / or broadcast-related information from an external broadcast management server through a broadcast channel.

The broadcast channel may include a satellite channel and a terrestrial channel. The broadcast management server may refer to a server for generating and transmitting broadcast signals and / or broadcast related information, or a server for receiving broadcast signals and / or broadcast related information generated by the broadcast management server and transmitting the generated broadcast signals and / or broadcast related information. The broadcast signal may include a TV broadcast signal, a radio broadcast signal, a data broadcast signal, and a broadcast signal in which a data broadcast signal is combined with a TV broadcast signal or a radio broadcast signal.

The broadcast-related information may refer to a broadcast channel, a broadcast program, or information related to a broadcast service provider. The broadcast-related information may also be provided through a mobile communication network. In this case, it may be received by the mobile communication module 112.

The broadcast-related information may exist in various forms. For example, an EPG (Electronic Program Guide) of a DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) or an ESG (Electronic Service Guide) of a DVBH (Digital Video BroadcastHandheld).

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives broadcast signals using various broadcasting systems. In particular, the broadcast receiving module 111 may be a digital multimedia broadcasting broadcasting (DMBT), a digital multimedia broadcasting satellite (DMBS), a media forward link only (MediaFLO), a digital video broadcasting ), And ISDBT (Integrated Services Digital Broadcast Terrestrial). Of course, the broadcast receiving module 111 may be adapted to other broadcasting systems that provide broadcast signals as well as the digital broadcasting system described above.

The broadcast signal and / or broadcast related information received through the broadcast receiving module 111 may be stored in the memory unit 160.

The mobile communication module 112 transmits and receives radio signals to at least one of a base station, an external terminal, and a server on a mobile communication network. The wireless signal may include various types of data depending on a voice call signal, a video call signal or a text / multimedia message transmission / reception.

The wireless Internet module 113 refers to a module for wireless Internet access, and the wireless Internet module 113 can be embedded in the mobile terminal 100 or externally. WLAN (WiFi), Wibro (Wireless broadband), Wimax (World Interoperability for Microwave Access), HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) and the like can be used as wireless Internet technologies.

The short-range communication module 114 refers to a module for short-range communication. Bluetooth, radio frequency identification (RFID), infrared data association (IrDA), ultra wideband (UWB), ZigBee, and the like can be used as the short distance communication technology.

The location information module 115 is a module for confirming or obtaining the location of the mobile terminal 100. A typical example of the location information module is a GPS (Global Position System) module. According to the current technology, the GPS module 115 calculates information on a distance (distance) from three or more satellites to one point (entity), information on the time when the distance information is measured, , Three-dimensional position information according to latitude, longitude, and altitude of one point (individual) in one hour can be calculated. Further, a method of calculating position and time information using three satellites and correcting the error of the calculated position and time information using another satellite is also used. The GPS module 115 continues to calculate the current position in real time and uses it to calculate speed information.

The A / V (Audio / Video) input unit 120 is for inputting an audio signal or a video signal, and may include a camera 121 and a microphone 122. The camera 121 processes image frames such as still images or moving images obtained by the image sensor in the video communication mode or the photographing mode. The processed image frame can be displayed on the display module 151. [

The image frame processed by the camera 121 may be stored in the memory unit 160 or may be transmitted to the outside through the wireless communication unit 110. [ The camera 121 may be equipped with two or more cameras according to the configuration of the terminal.

The microphone 122 receives an external sound signal through a microphone in a communication mode, a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, or the like, and processes it as electrical voice data. The processed voice data can be converted into a form that can be transmitted to the mobile communication base station through the mobile communication module 112 when the voice data is in the call mode, and output. Various noise reduction algorithms may be implemented in the microphone 122 to remove noise generated in receiving an external sound signal.

The user input unit 130 generates input data for a user to control the operation of the terminal. The user input unit 130 may include a key pad, a dome switch, a touch pad, a touch panel, a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like. The touch panel may be implemented by a capacitive type, a resistive type, or the like.

The sensing unit 140 may sense the position of the mobile terminal 100 such as the open / close state of the mobile terminal 100, the position of the mobile terminal 100, the presence of the user, the orientation of the mobile terminal 100, And generates a sensing signal for controlling the operation of the mobile terminal 100. For example, when the mobile terminal 100 is in the form of a slide phone, it is possible to sense whether the slide phone is opened or closed. In addition, it may be responsible for a sensing function related to whether the power supply unit 190 is powered on, whether the interface unit 170 is connected to an external device, and the like. Meanwhile, the sensing unit 140 may include an orientation sensor 141 and / or a proximity sensor.

The output unit 150 is for generating output related to visual, auditory or tactile sense and includes a display module 151, an acoustic output module 152, an alarm unit 153, and a haptic module 154 .

The display module 151 displays and outputs information processed by the mobile terminal 100. For example, when the mobile terminal 100 is in the call mode, a UI (User Interface) or a GUI (Graphic User Interface) associated with a call is displayed. When the mobile terminal 100 is in the video communication mode or the photographing mode, the photographed and / or received video or UI and GUI are displayed.

The display module 151 may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, a field emission display, a plasma display panel, Or the like. Also, the display module 151 may be implemented as a flexible display or a three-dimensional display (3D display).

The display module 151 may be implemented as a transparent display. Typical examples of transparent displays include transparent LCDs and transparent OLEDs. In this case, the rear structure of the display module 151 may also be configured as a light transmitting structure. Accordingly, the user can see the object located behind the mobile terminal 100 through the area occupied by the display module 151 of the mobile terminal 100. [

There may be two or more display modules 151 according to the embodiment of the mobile terminal 100. For example, in the mobile terminal 100, a plurality of display portions may be spaced apart from one another or may be disposed integrally with each other, or may be disposed on different surfaces.

The display module 151 may include a touch panel. Since the touch panel includes touch sensors for sensing a touch operation, the display module 151 may be used as an input device in addition to the output device.

The touch sensors of the touch panel sense the touch of the user by sensing the pressure applied to the specific part of the display module 151 or the change of capacitance occurring at a specific part of the display module 151. Specifically, the touch sensors output the corresponding signal (s) to the touch controller when there is a touch input, and the touch controller processes the signal (s) and transmits the corresponding data to the controller 180 . Accordingly, the controller 180 can know which area of the display module 151 is touched or the like. The touch sensors can be configured to detect not only the position and area to be touched but also the pressure at the time of touch.

A proximity sensor may be disposed in the inner region of the mobile terminal 100 or in the vicinity of the touch screen, which is wrapped by the touch screen. The proximity sensor refers to a sensor that detects the presence or absence of an object approaching a predetermined detection surface or a nearby object without mechanical contact using the force of an electromagnetic field or infrared rays. The proximity sensor has a longer life span than the contact sensor and its utilization is also high.

Examples of the proximity sensor include a transmission type photoelectric sensor, a direct reflection type photoelectric sensor, a mirror reflection type photoelectric sensor, a high frequency oscillation type proximity sensor, a capacitive proximity sensor, a magnetic proximity sensor, and an infrared proximity sensor.

And to detect the proximity of the pointer by the change of the electric field along the proximity of the pointer when the touch screen is electrostatic. In this case, the touch screen (touch sensor) may be classified as a proximity sensor.

The term "proximity touch" refers to the act of causing the pointer to be located on the touch screen in proximity to the touch screen without the pointer touching the touch screen, and "contact touch" Which means that the pointer actually touches the touch screen. The position where the pointer is proximately touched on the touch screen means a position where the pointer is vertically corresponding to the touch screen when the pointer is touched.

The proximity sensor detects a proximity touch and a proximity touch pattern (e.g., a proximity touch distance, a proximity touch direction, a proximity touch speed, a proximity touch time, a proximity touch position, a proximity touch movement state, and the like). Information corresponding to the detected proximity touch operation and the proximity touch pattern may be output on the touch screen.

The audio output module 152 may output audio data received from the wireless communication unit 110 or stored in the memory unit 160 in a call signal reception mode, a call mode or a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, a broadcast reception mode, The sound output module 152 outputs an acoustic signal related to a function (e.g., a call signal reception sound, a message reception sound, etc.) performed in the mobile terminal 100. The audio output module 152 may include a receiver, a speaker, a buzzer, and the like.

The alarm unit 153 outputs a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event of the mobile terminal 100. Examples of events generated in the mobile terminal 100 include call signal reception, message reception, key signal input, touch input, and the like. The alarm unit 153 may output a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event in a form other than the video signal or the audio signal, for example, vibration. The video signal or audio signal may also be output through the display module 151 or the audio output module 152.

The haptic module 154 generates various tactile effects that the user can feel. A typical example of the haptic effect generated by the haptic module 154 is vibration. The intensity and pattern of the vibration generated by the hit module 154 can be controlled. For example, different vibrations may be synthesized and output or sequentially output.

In addition to the vibration, the haptic module 154 may be configured to perform various functions such as an effect of stimulation by a pin arrangement vertically moving with respect to a contact skin surface, an effect of stimulation by air spraying force or suction force through a jet opening or a suction opening, A variety of tactile effects such as an effect of stimulation through contact of an electrode, an effect of stimulation by an electrostatic force, and an effect of reproducing a cold sensation using a heat absorbing or exothermic element can be generated.

The haptic module 154 can be implemented not only to transmit the tactile effect through the direct contact but also to feel the tactile effect through the muscles of the user's finger or arm. The haptic module 154 may include two or more haptic modules 154 according to the configuration of the portable terminal 100.

The memory unit 160 may store a program for the operation of the controller 180 and temporarily store input / output data (e.g., a phone book, a message, a still image, a moving picture, etc.). The memory unit 160 may store data related to vibration and sound of various patterns outputted when a touch is input on the touch screen.

The memory unit 160 may be a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (for example, SD or XD memory) At least one of a random access memory (RAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), a read only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a programmable read- Lt; / RTI > type of storage medium. The mobile terminal 100 may operate in association with a web storage that performs a storage function of the memory unit 160 on the Internet.

The interface unit 170 serves as a path for communication with all external devices connected to the mobile terminal 100. The interface unit 170 receives data from an external device or receives power from the external device to transfer the data to each component in the mobile terminal 100 or to transmit data in the mobile terminal 100 to an external device. For example, a wired / wireless headset port, an external charger port, a wired / wireless data port, a memory card port, a port for connecting a device having an identification module, an audio I / O port, A video input / output (I / O) port, an earphone port, and the like may be included in the interface unit 170.

The identification module is a chip for storing various information for authenticating the use right of the mobile terminal 100 and includes a user identification module (UIM), a subscriber identity module (SIM), a general user authentication module A Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM), and the like. Devices with identification modules (hereinafter referred to as "identification devices") can be manufactured in a smart card format. Accordingly, the identification device can be connected to the terminal 100 through the port.

When the mobile terminal 100 is connected to an external cradle, the interface unit may be a path through which power from the cradle is supplied to the mobile terminal 100, or various command signals input by the user to the cradle may be transmitted And may be a passage to be transmitted to the terminal 100. The various command signals or the power source inputted from the cradle may be operated as a signal for recognizing that the mobile terminal 100 is correctly mounted on the cradle.

The control unit 180 typically controls the overall operation of the mobile terminal 100. For example, voice communication, data communication, video communication, and the like. The control unit 180 may output the digital image data RGB and the timing signals of the program stored in the memory unit 160 to the display module 151 in order to display the information on the display module 151. [ The control unit 180 may include a multimedia module 181 for multimedia playback. The multimedia module 181 may be implemented in the control unit 180 or may be implemented separately from the control unit 180. [

The control unit 180 may perform a pattern recognition process for recognizing handwriting input or drawing input performed on the touch screen as characters and images, respectively.

The power supply unit 190 receives external power and internal power under the control of the controller 180 and supplies power necessary for operation of the respective components.

The various embodiments described herein may be embodied in a recording medium readable by a computer or similar device using, for example, software, hardware, or a combination thereof.

According to a hardware implementation, the embodiments described herein may be implemented as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays May be implemented using at least one of processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, and electrical units for performing functions. In some cases such embodiments may be implemented using a controller 180 < / RTI >

According to a software implementation, embodiments such as procedures or functions may be implemented with separate software modules that perform at least one function or operation. The software code may be implemented by a software application written in a suitable programming language. Also, the software codes may be stored in the memory unit 160 and executed by the control unit 180. [

2 is a front perspective view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a rear perspective view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 to 4, the mobile terminal 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described with reference to a structure including a bar-shaped body. However, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited thereto, and the mobile terminal 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention may be formed as a slide type, a folder type, a swing type, a swivel type, etc. in which two or more bodies are movably coupled .

The body includes a case (a casing, a housing, a cover, and the like) which forms an appearance. In this embodiment, the case may be divided into a front case 101, a rear case 102 and a middle case 103. [ The cases may be formed by injection molding a synthetic resin, or may be formed to have a metal material such as stainless steel (STS) or titanium (Ti) or the like.

2 and 3, the front case 101 includes a display module 151, an audio output module 152, a first camera 121, a user input unit 130, a microphone 122, an interface unit 170, Can be arranged. The display module 151 occupies most of the main surface of the front case 101. The display module 151 may be disposed between the first front case 101a and the second front case 101b as shown in FIG. The sound output module 151 and the camera 121 are disposed in a region adjacent to one end of both ends of the display module 151 and the first operation unit 131 and the microphone 122 are disposed in a region adjacent to the other end . The second operation unit 132, the interface 170 and the like may be disposed on the side surfaces of the front case 101. [

The user input unit 130 is operated to receive a command for controlling the operation of the portable terminal 100 and may include a plurality of operation units 131 and 132. The operation units 131 and 132 may be collectively referred to as a manipulating portion and may be employed in any manner as long as the user operates in a tactile manner. The contents input by the operation units 131 and 132 can be variously set. For example, the first operation unit 131 receives commands such as start, end, scroll, and the like, and the second operation unit 132 controls the size of the sound output from the sound output unit 152 or the size of the sound output from the display unit 151 To the touch recognition mode of the touch screen.

At least one circuit board 210 (s) and a battery 201 may be disposed between the front case 101 and the middle case 103. The circuit board 210 (s) can be implemented as a printed circuit board or a flexible printed circuit. The circuit board 210 (s) can be mounted with various kinds of electronic components as well as a plurality of control circuits.

For example, a second camera 121 ', an adapter connection 202, a plurality of charging units, a power management IC (integrated circuit), and a charge control unit are mounted on the circuit board 210 (s) . The second camera 121 'may have a photographing direction substantially opposite to that of the first camera 121, and may be a camera having different pixels from the camera 121. For example, the first camera 121 has low pixels so that it is easy to capture a face of a user in the case of a video call or the like and send it to the other party, and the second camera 121 ' It is preferable to have a high pixel. The first and second cameras 121 and 121 'may be installed in the terminal body such that they can be rotated or popped up. Further, a flash and a mirror may be additionally disposed adjacent to the second camera 121 '. The second camera 121 'may be exposed to the rear surface of the rear case 102 through the holes of the rear case 102 and the middle case 103. The adapter connection portion 202 is exposed to the lower side surface of the front case 101, and a power supply adapter can be connected. A detailed description of the plurality of charging units and the charge control unit will be described later with reference to FIG.

The mobile terminal 100 includes a wireless communication unit 110 for broadcasting reception, voice / data transmission / reception, and GPS information transmission / reception, and has an antenna for ensuring wireless communication performance. An antenna for receiving a broadcast signal may be additionally disposed on the side surface of the rear case 103 in addition to an antenna for a call or the like. An antenna constituting a part of the broadcast receiving module (111 in FIG. 1) may be installed to be able to be drawn out from the terminal body.

5 is a block diagram illustrating a charge controller, a plurality of chargers, a battery, and an adapter connection according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 5, the charge control unit 181 and a plurality of charging units are mounted on the circuit board 210. In FIG. 5, a plurality of charging units include two charging units, that is, a first charging unit 310 and a second charging unit 320, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The plurality of charging units may include n charging units (n is a natural number of 2 or more).

The first charging unit 310 and the second charging unit 320 are connected in parallel between the battery 201 and the adapter connection unit 202. As a result, the conductive line CL connected to the adapter connecting portion 202 branches at one point between the adapter connecting portion 202 and the charging portions 310 and 320. [ One of the branched conductive lines is connected to the first charging unit 310 and the other is connected to the second charging unit 320. [ The conductive line CL connected to the battery 201 is branched at any point between the battery 201 and the charging units 310 and 320. One of the branched conductive lines is connected to the first charging unit 310 and the other is connected to the second charging unit 320. [

The first and second charging units 310 and 320 receive power from the power supply adapter connected to the adapter connection unit 202 to charge the battery 201. [ The first and second charging units 310 and 320 supply power from the charged battery 201 to the system when the power supply adapter is not connected to the adapter connection unit 202. [

The first and second charging units 310 and 320 receive power from the power supply adapter when the power supply adapter is connected to the adapter connection unit 202. In this case, the first and second charging units 310 and 320 supply a current for charging the battery 201 under the control of the charge control unit 181. [ Each of the first and second charging units 310 and 320 supplies a current to the battery 201 according to the first and second charging current data Dcc.

The first charging unit 310 senses the voltage of the battery 201 and compares the voltage of the battery 201 with the first to third threshold voltages. The first charging unit 310 outputs the battery voltage data Dbv to the charging control unit 181 according to the detected voltage of the battery 201. [ For example, when the voltage of the battery 201 is lower than the first threshold voltage, the first charging unit 310 outputs the battery voltage data Dbv having the first value, and when the voltage of the battery 201 is lower than the first threshold And outputs the battery voltage data Dbv having a second value when the voltage of the battery 201 is higher than the second threshold voltage and the battery voltage data Dbv having the third value when the voltage of the battery 201 is higher than the second threshold voltage and lower than the third threshold voltage And outputs the battery voltage data Dbv having the fourth value when it is equal to or greater than the third threshold voltage.

Also, the first charging unit 310 performs an auto input current limit (AICL) in order to confirm the power supply capability of the power supply adapter connected to the adapter connection unit 202. To this end, the first charging unit 310 senses the maximum value of the current that can be supplied from the power supply adapter connected to the adapter connection unit 202, and transmits the corresponding adapter current data Dac to the charge control unit 181 Output.

The charge control unit 181 can determine the voltage of the battery 201 sensed according to the battery voltage data Dbv. The charge controller 181 controls the operation of the first charger 310 and the second charger 320 according to the sensed voltage of the battery 201. [ For example, the charge controller 181 may control the operation of the first charger 310 and the second charger 320 by generating an interrupt signal according to the battery voltage data Dbv.

The charge controller 310 calculates current values to be supplied to the first and second chargers 310 and 320 according to the adapter current data Dac and outputs first and second charge current data Dcc corresponding thereto, To the first and second charging units 310 and 320, respectively.

Also, the charge control unit 310 determines whether the power supply adapter connected to the adapter connection unit 202 is a TA (travel adapter) or a USB terminal. TA includes only a power supply line, whereas the USB terminal includes a power supply line as well as a data transmission line. Therefore, when the USB terminal is connected to the adapter connection unit 202, not only power supply but also data transfer occurs. Therefore, the charge control unit 310 can determine that the USB terminal is connected to the adapter connection unit 202 when not only power supply but also data transfer occurs. The charging control unit 310 controls the first and second charging units 310 and 320 differently when the TA is connected to the adapter connection unit 202 and when the USB connection is made. A detailed description of the operations of the charging control unit 181 and the first and second charging units 310 and 320 will be given later with reference to FIG.

6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of charging a mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 7A and 7B are graphs showing the charging currents of the first and second charging units. Embodiments of the present invention charge a plurality of charging units during a predetermined period of time during a charging period.

Hereinafter, a charging method of a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 6, 7A and 7B. FIG. Since the mobile terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of charging units, the battery 201 is charged using a plurality of charging paths. As a result, the present invention can reduce the charging period even when a large capacity battery is used. In the embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of charging units include the first charging unit 310 and the second charging unit 320, however, the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, the plurality of charging units according to the embodiment of the present invention may include n charging units (n is a natural number of 2 or more). In this case, the second charging unit 320 may be a charging unit other than the first charging unit 310 in the following embodiments.

First, the charge control unit 181 determines whether the power supply adapter connected to the adapter connection unit 202 is a TA (travel adapter) or a USB terminal. The charge control unit 181 controls the charging of the battery in accordance with the voltage level of the battery 201 when the power supply adapter connected to the adapter connection unit 202 is TA.

Specifically, the battery charging period of the mobile terminal can be divided into first to third periods according to the voltage level of the battery 201. [ The first period corresponds to a period when the voltage of the battery 201 is lower than the first threshold voltage and corresponds to a trickle charging period in which the battery 201 is charged with a low current in order to prevent the battery 201 from being overloaded. period. The second period is a period corresponding to a case where the voltage of the battery 201 is equal to or higher than the first threshold voltage and lower than the second threshold voltage and is a constant current period. The third period is a period corresponding to a case where the voltage of the battery 201 is equal to or higher than the second threshold voltage and lower than the third threshold voltage and corresponds to the current supplied to the battery 201 in order to prevent the battery 201 from being overcharged. And corresponds to a constant voltage period in which the battery 201 is gradually charged down. The fourth period is a period corresponding to the case where the voltage of the battery 201 is equal to or higher than the third threshold voltage and is a recharging period in which the battery 201 is fully charged and the battery 201 is charged to maintain the fully charged state. (Re-charging period).

The first charging unit 310 outputs the battery voltage data Dbv having the first value when the voltage of the battery 201 is lower than the first threshold voltage and outputs the battery voltage data Dbv having the first value when the voltage of the battery 201 is equal to or higher than the first threshold voltage And outputs the battery voltage data Dbv having the second value when it is lower than the second threshold voltage. The first charging unit 310 outputs battery voltage data Dbv having a third value when the voltage of the battery 201 is equal to or higher than the second threshold voltage and lower than the third threshold voltage, The battery voltage data Dbv having the fourth value can be output.

Accordingly, the charge controller 181 can control the first and second chargers 310 and 320 according to the battery voltage data Dbv in one of the first to third periods. For example, when the battery voltage data Dbv having the first value is inputted, the charge controller 181 determines the first period and controls the first and second charging units 310 and 320. [ When the battery voltage data Dbv having the second value is input, the charge control unit 181 determines the second period and controls the first and second charging units 310 and 320. [ When the battery voltage data Dbv having the third value is input, the charge control unit 181 determines the third period and controls the first and second charging units 310 and 320. [ (S101, S102)

Second, the charging control unit 181 and the first and second charging units 310 and 320 will be described in detail for the first period with reference to steps S103 and S104.

The first charging unit 310 outputs the battery voltage data Dbv having the first value to the charging control unit 181 when the voltage of the battery 201 is lower than the first threshold voltage. When the battery voltage data Dbv having the first value is inputted, the charge controller 181 determines the first period corresponding to the trickle charge period and controls the first and second chargers 310 and 320. The trickle charging period is a period during which the battery 201 is charged with a low current to prevent overload of the battery 201. The charging control unit 181 activates the first charging unit 310 during the first period, (320) is deactivated.

In this case, the charge control section 181 outputs the first interrupt signal IRQ1 for instructing the trickle charge to the first and second charging sections 310 and 320. The charge controller 181 outputs the first charge current data Dcc1 including the current level information of the first charger 310 to the first charger 310 during the first period.

The second charging unit 320 is deactivated in response to the first interrupt signal IRQ1 as shown in FIG. 7B. The first charging unit 310 charges the battery 201 with the first current according to the first interrupt signal IRQ1 and the first charging current data Dcc1 as shown in FIG. For example, the first current may be 300 mA as in FIG. 7A, and may be as low as 500 mA. When the voltage of the battery 201 is lower than the first threshold voltage, the reason for trickle charging with a low current of 500 mA is to prevent the battery 201 from being overloaded. (S103)

If the voltage of the battery 201 is equal to or greater than the first threshold voltage, the first charging unit 310 outputs the battery voltage data Dbv having the second value to the charging controller 181. When the battery voltage data Dbv having the second value is inputted, the charge controller 181 determines the second period corresponding to the DC charging period and controls the first and second charging units 310 and 320. Since the DC charging period is a period during which the battery 201 is charged with a high current for high-speed charging, the charging controller 181 activates the second charging unit 320 during the second period, .

In this case, the charge control unit 181 outputs the second interrupt signal IRQ2 for instructing the DC charging to the first and second charging units 310 and 320. [ The second charging unit 320 is activated as shown in FIG. 7B in response to the second interrupt signal IRQ2. Therefore, since the present invention is charged using the first and second charging units 310 and 320 during the second period, the charging speed can be increased. (S104)

Third, the charging control unit 181 and the first and second charging units 310 and 320 will be described in detail with reference to steps S105 to S108.

First, it is necessary to check the power supply capability of the power supply adapter connected to the adapter connection portion 202 for fast charging of the battery 201 during the second period. Accordingly, the first charging unit 310 confirms the AICL (auto input current limit). Specifically, the first charging unit 310 senses the maximum value of the current that can be supplied from the power supply adapter connected to the adapter connection unit 202, and transmits the corresponding adapter current data Dac to the charge control unit 181 Output. (S105)

The charge control unit 181 calculates the charge current of the first charging unit 310 and the charging current of the second charging unit 320 within the maximum value of the current supplied from the power supply adapter from the adapter current data Dac. The charge controller 181 can calculate the charge current of the first charger 310 and the charge current of the second charger 320 in consideration of the resistance of a predetermined conductive line and the like. The charging control unit 181 outputs the calculated charging current of the first charging unit 310 to the first charging unit 310 with the first charging current data Dcc1 and outputs the charging current of the second charging unit 320 calculated 2 charge current data Dcc2 to the second charging unit 320. [ The first charging unit 310 supplies current to the battery 201 in accordance with the first charging current data Dcc1 and the second charging unit 320 supplies current to the battery 201 according to the second charging current data Dcc2. . 7A and 7B, the first charging unit 310 may supply a current of 2A, and the second charging unit 320 may supply a current of 1A. The current for charging the battery 201 is a second current which is the sum of the charging current of the first charging unit 310 and the charging current of the second charging unit 320. As a result, the present invention can charge the battery using a high current using both the first and second charging units 310 and 320 during the second period, thereby reducing the charging time of the battery. (S106, S107)

When the voltage of the battery 201 becomes equal to or higher than the second threshold voltage, the first charging unit 310 outputs the battery voltage data Dbv having the third value to the charging controller 181. When the battery voltage data Dbv having the third value is input, the charge control unit 181 gradually decreases the current supplied to the battery 201 to prevent the battery 201 from being overcharged, And determines the third period corresponding to the charging period to control the first and second charging units 310 and 320. Accordingly, since the second charging unit 320 does not need to be activated during the third period, the charging control unit 181 activates the first charging unit 310 during the third period and the second charging unit 320 ) Is deactivated.

In this case, the charge control unit 181 outputs the third interrupt signal IRQ3 to the first and second charging units 310 and 320 indicating the constant voltage charging period for preventing the battery 201 from overcharging. The charge control unit 181 outputs the first charge current data Dcc1 including the current level information of the first charging unit 310 to the first charging unit 310 during the third period.

The second charging unit 320 is deactivated as shown in FIG. 7B in response to the third interrupt signal IRQ3. The first charging unit 310 gradually charges the battery 201 while gradually reducing the current supplied to the battery 201 according to the third interrupt signal IRQ3 and the first charging current data Dcc1 as shown in FIG. (S108)

Fourth, the charging control unit 181 and the first and second charging units 310 and 320 will be described in detail for the third period with reference to steps S109 to S111.

First, in order to prevent overcharging of the battery 201 during the third period, the current supplied to the battery 201 is gradually lowered to charge the battery 201. Accordingly, the second charging unit 320 does not need to be activated for the third period, and thus controls the second charging unit 320 to be inactivated.

The second charging unit 320 is deactivated as shown in FIG. 7B in response to the third interrupt signal IRQ3. The first charging unit 310 gradually charges the battery 201 while gradually reducing the current supplied to the battery 201 according to the third interrupt signal IRQ3 and the first charging current data Dcc1 as shown in FIG. Specifically, the charge control unit 181 receives data corresponding to the voltage of the battery 201 from the first charging unit 310. [ The charge control unit 181 controls the current of the first charging unit 310 to be lower as the voltage of the battery 201 increases as shown in FIG. 7A. That is, the charge control unit 181 controls the current of the first charging unit 310 to be inversely proportional to the voltage of the battery 201 during the third period. (S109)

Meanwhile, when the voltage of the battery 201 is charged to the third threshold voltage or more, the first charging unit 310 outputs the battery voltage data Dbv having the fourth value to the charging controller 181. The charge controller 181 determines that the battery 201 is completely charged (EOC (end of charging)) when the battery voltage data Dbv having the fourth value is input. In this case, the charge controller 181 determines that the battery 201 is in the fourth period corresponding to the recharging period, which is a period during which the battery 201 is charged to maintain the fully charged state, and controls the first and second chargers 310 and 320 . Therefore, since the second charging unit 320 does not need to be activated during the fourth period, the charging control unit 181 activates the first charging unit 310 and controls the second charging unit 320 to be inactivated. Also, the charge controller 181 controls the first charger 310 to supply a predetermined current to the battery 201 during the fourth period.

In this case, the charge control unit 181 outputs the fourth interrupt signal IRQ4 indicating the recharging period to the first and second charging units 310 and 320. [ The charge controller 181 outputs the first charge current data Dcc1 including the current level information of the first charger 310 to the first charger 310 during the fourth period.

The second charging unit 320 is deactivated in response to the fourth interrupt signal IRQ3. The first charging unit 310 supplies the battery 201 with a predetermined current required for maintaining the fully charged state of the battery 201 according to the fourth interruption signal IRQ4 and the first charging current data Dcc1 . (S110, S111)

Fifthly, when the power supply adapter connected to the adapter connection unit 202 is a USB terminal, the charging control unit 181 and the first and second charging units 310 and 320 will be described in detail with reference to steps S112 and S113 .

The charge control unit 181 controls the battery 201 to be charged using only the first charging unit 310 when the adapter connection unit 202 is connected to the USB terminal via the USB cable. This is because, when the adapter connecting portion 202 is connected to the USB terminal, a lower current is supplied than when the adapter connecting portion 202 is connected to the TA, so that it is not necessary to use a plurality of charging portions. Accordingly, the charge control unit 181 controls the battery 201 to be charged using only the first charging unit 310 regardless of the battery voltage data Dbv.

In this case, the charge control unit 181 outputs the fifth interrupt signal IRQ5 indicating that the USB terminal is connected to the adapter connection unit 202 to the first and second charging units 310 and 320. [ And the second charging unit 320 is deactivated in response to the fifth interrupt signal IRQ5. The first charging unit 310 charges the battery 201 using the current supplied from the USB terminal. For example, when the first charging unit 310 receives a current of 500 mA from the USB cable connected to the adapter connection unit 202, the first charging unit 310 charges the battery 201 at 500 mA. (S112)

Meanwhile, when the voltage of the battery 201 is charged to the third threshold voltage or more, the first charging unit 310 outputs the battery voltage data Dbv having the fourth value to the charging controller 181. The charge controller 181 determines that the battery 201 is completely charged (EOC (end of charging)) when the battery voltage data Dbv having the fourth value is input. In this case, the charge controller 181 determines that the battery 201 is in the fourth period corresponding to the recharging period, which is a period during which the battery 201 is charged to maintain the fully charged state, and controls the first and second chargers 310 and 320 . Therefore, since the second charging unit 320 does not need to be activated during the fourth period, the charging control unit 181 activates the first charging unit 310 and controls the second charging unit 320 to be inactivated. Also, the charge controller 181 controls the first charger 310 to supply a predetermined current to the battery 201 during the fourth period.

In this case, the charge control unit 181 outputs the fourth interrupt signal IRQ4 indicating the recharging period to the first and second charging units 310 and 320. [ The charge controller 181 outputs the first charge current data Dcc1 including the current level information of the first charger 310 to the first charger 310 during the fourth period.

The second charging unit 320 is deactivated in response to the fourth interrupt signal IRQ3. The first charging unit 310 supplies the battery 201 with a predetermined current required for maintaining the fully charged state of the battery 201 according to the fourth interruption signal IRQ4 and the first charging current data Dcc1 . (S113)

As described above, the present invention charges the battery using a plurality of chargers only for a predetermined period of time set in the charging period. The preset predetermined period is the second period corresponding to the DC charging period. As a result, the present invention can reduce the charging time of the battery and minimize the amount of heat generated by the plurality of charging units by charging the battery using a plurality of charging units for a predetermined period and charging the remaining one period using one charging unit have.

FIG. 8 is a graph showing a calorific value of the prior art and a calorific value of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 8, the prior art is a technique for charging a battery using one charging unit. The present invention is a technique for charging a battery using a plurality of charging units only during a predetermined period of time during a charging period. Both the prior art and the present invention have implemented substantially the same current for charging the battery. For example, the current for charging the battery in the second period corresponding to the direct current charging period of the prior art and the present invention is 2.2A.

As shown in FIG. 8, in the prior art, the amount of heat generation is much higher than in the present invention in the second period corresponding to the DC charging period. The prior art is about 7 degrees higher than the present invention in the second period. Since the temperature that can be improved by using the heat diffusion sheet is only about 2 to 3 degrees, the effect of reducing the heat generation amount using the present invention is excellent.

As described above, the present invention charges the battery using a plurality of chargers only for a predetermined period of time set in the charging period. As a result, the present invention can reduce the charging time of the battery and minimize the amount of heat generated by the plurality of charging units by charging the battery using a plurality of charging units for a predetermined period and charging the remaining one period using one charging unit have.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention should not be limited to the contents described in the detailed description of the specification, but should be defined by the claims.

181: charge controller 201: battery
202: adapter connecting part 310: first charging part
320:

Claims (11)

A terminal body including a battery;
An adapter connector formed on one side of the terminal body and connected to a power supply adapter;
A plurality of charging units for charging the battery between the adapter connection unit and the battery; And
And a control unit for generating a control signal for controlling each of the plurality of charging units. The method according to claim 1,
The plurality of charging units may include:
And the adapter is connected in parallel between the adapter connection part and the battery. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the power supply adapter is connected to the adapter connection unit to charge the battery using all of the plurality of chargers during a predetermined period of time during a charging period in which the battery is charged,
Wherein the charging unit charges the battery using any one of the plurality of charging units during a period other than the preset predetermined period during the charging period. The method of claim 3,
In the charging period,
A first period for charging the battery with a first current using any one of the plurality of charging units when a voltage of the battery is lower than a first threshold voltage;
A second period for charging the battery with a second current higher than the first current using all of the plurality of chargers when the voltage of the battery is higher than the first threshold voltage and lower than the second threshold voltage; And
And a third period for gradually charging the battery while gradually lowering the second current using any one of the plurality of charging units when the voltage of the battery is higher than the second threshold voltage and lower than the third threshold voltage . 5. The method of claim 4,
And the current supplied to the battery during the third period is inversely proportional to the voltage of the battery. 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein,
Wherein the controller activates the remaining charging unit by generating a first interrupt signal during the first and third periods to deactivate the remaining charging unit and generating a second interrupt signal during the second period. A terminal body including a battery; An adapter connector formed on one side of the terminal body and connected to a power supply adapter; And a plurality of charging units for charging the battery between the adapter connection unit and the battery,
Charging the battery using all of the plurality of chargers for a predetermined period of time during a charging period when the power supply adapter is connected to the adapter connection unit to charge the battery; And
And charging the battery using any one of the plurality of charging units during a period other than the preset predetermined period during the charging period. 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein charging the battery using any one of the plurality of charging units comprises:
And charging the battery with the first current using one of the plurality of charging units when the voltage of the battery is lower than the first threshold voltage. 9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the step of charging the battery using all of the plurality of charging units comprises:
And charging the battery with a second current higher than the first current by using all of the plurality of chargers when the voltage of the battery is higher than the first threshold voltage and lower than the second threshold voltage. The charging method of the mobile terminal. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein charging the battery using any one of the plurality of charging units comprises:
And gradually charging the battery while gradually lowering the second current by using any one of the plurality of charging units when the voltage of the battery is higher than the second threshold voltage and lower than the third threshold voltage. The charging method of the mobile terminal. 11. The method of claim 10,
Wherein the current supplied to the battery is inversely proportional to the voltage of the battery when the voltage of the battery is higher than the second threshold voltage and lower than the third threshold voltage.

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